


The Farmgirl Bride

by DreamoftheWild



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Blood and Injury, Comedy, F/M, Gen, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Romance, Twilight is a himbo, angst-ish, more tags to come, no beta we die like men, puns, will probably be rewritten
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:09:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26419267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamoftheWild/pseuds/DreamoftheWild
Summary: (BEING REWRITTEN!)Being together, alone, in silence was affecting Malon in ways she never noticed before. She took her last bite and chugged down her drink to try to swallow the nervous lump that appeared in her throat. When she looked up at him, he had a fond look on his face as he watched her silently. That day, she was amazed to find out that when he said “as you wish,” he really meant, “I love you.”
Relationships: Legend & Twilight & Wind (Linked Universe), Malon (Legend of Zelda)/Time (Linked Universe)
Comments: 25
Kudos: 41





	1. My Love

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! This is my first Linked Universe fic (my first LoZ fic too!) I've only played BOTW and HW so don't be mean (,:  
> This is obviously an AU... of an AU. Hey it counts. I made a random town name for reasons you will see and it only exists for this chapter. I hope you like it and any comments are appreciated.

At their first meeting, they were children. She had no idea where he came from and never cared to ask. Growing up on a farm could get a little lonely when there were no other kids around, so when a potential friend appeared as a young blonde boy at their doorstep, she quickly ran to him and bombarded him with questions. _Favorite color? Favorite food? What’s your name? How old are you? I’m Malon!_ Any question that popped into her brain would fly immediately out, so she went on and on until her papa told her to settle.

“Sorry, kid, I don't hire anyone outside of the family.” Her pa had said to the boy, but when he noticed his daughter’s waning excitement, he added, “But I can feed you meals if you help out with chores.” He didn’t think any situation where a child asking him for work was a good thing, it was probably a result of the seemingly restless civil war, and he would help the kid out if it meant his daughter would lose that lonely look on her face every so often.

The boy nods, and responds with a soft spoken voice, “Thank you, sir.” Then, he turns to Malon, “Green, Milk, Link, 10.” She blinks at him in confusion, until she remembers her earlier interrogation, “Oh! Hi Link!” She smiles at him and grabs his wrist, “I’ll show you where we keep the horses!” Her pa laughs at her antics as the boy gets led away towards the stables. He swears the kid throws him a look pleading for help, but he must’ve imagined it. “Oh and… milk isn’t a food!” is the last thing he hears before they round the corner.

* * *

Her favorite hobbies included riding her horse, Epona, and tormenting the boy who showed up at her family’s farm every morning. She never called him by his real name, instead giving him a nickname fitting of the direction he disappeared at night, into the forest and out of sight.

Malon stands outside, her horse's reins in her gloved hand, admiring the way the wind tickled the healthy green grass of Hyrule field, just outside the confines of her family’s ranch. Now a teenager, about 16, she had more control over her daily farm life and on Sundays, like today, she would take Epona out for a ride as the sun rose, and be back in time for chores. She took some extra time out today and didn’t come back until the sun was reaching its initial peak in the sky.

She takes a deep breath and turns, shutting out the sounds of the whistling wind and instead listening to the soft melody coming from the boy in the stable sitting on a stool in the middle of the walkway. His lips gently touch against the ocarina that he never failed to bring on his visits. He always played the same tune, a soft melody that made Epona’s ears perk up and calm Malon’s racing heart after an adrenaline pumping ride. She enters the stable as he finishes the song.

“Fairy Boy!” She calls as she leads Epona into her stall, “If you get her cleaned up, I’ll let you have some fresh milk from this morning.” He smiles and stuffs the ocarina into its special pouch on his belt, “As you wish.”

Link is about the same age, only a year older, but that's all she knew about him other than his favorite color and food, it was hard enough getting words out of him already. In all the time they had known each other, “as you wish” was all he ever said other than their initial interaction, he was a great listener though and she never truly minded his silence. He made his point across with gestures and grunts if he needed to.

He pointed towards the other horses and gave her a thumbs up, indicating he had finished his task of tending for them. “Thanks! I'll tell Pa when I pass the house.” She leaves, off to do other chores, and he gazes at her as she walks away. He always did but she never seemed to notice.

She makes busy work feeding the cows and bottling the rest of the milk gathered from the morning. The cuccos cluck and peck at her muddy boots when she passes by them, tossing seeds and other grains in their pen. When she finishes her chores, the sun is already starting it’s descent for the night, so she heads back into the house to make dinner.

They meet on the front porch when the darkness of night settles over the field, underneath the light of the gas lamp hanging by the front door. “Here.” She shoves a bottle of milk and a container of soup into his hands. She knew he would bring the dishes back in the morning. “Are you going to be fine finding your way home in the dark?” She knows the answer but always asked anyway.

He just nods with an affirmative hum. “Okay,” She smiles and waves at him as he turns to leave, “See ya tomorrow!” He waves back and runs towards the tree line at the edge of the field. She doesn’t know where he lives, only being able to see as far as the forest, but he was always there at the same time every morning so she never bothered to ask. She watches him disappear from sight and goes inside to eat dinner and get ready for bed, you have to wake up early when you work on a farm after all.

The sun is already peeking over the forest when Link emerges from the trees and Malon spots him as she steps outside after an early breakfast. She holds out a plate of eggs and toast to him when he’s close enough. He nods in thanks and sits on the edge of the porch deck to eat. She leans against the wall next to the door, watching him nibble the corner of the toast. He never missed breakfast since the first one they shared, so him being a little late was unusual.

“You can put the plate in the sink when you’re done, you know where it is. I have lots to do today cause Pa doesn’t feel good. Come find me when you’re ready.” He just nods again, but she doesn’t expect any different. He watches her leave again, eyes not straying from her figure until she is out of sight.

It’s only ten minutes later when she sees him round the corner of the house. She is standing behind the woodshed with a large pile of uncut logs and an ax laying against the open door, fanning herself off with her hand. “Good, you’re here! I just dragged all this out, mind chopping it all up for me?” He picks up the ax and dips his head, “As you wish.” She smiles and helps him by putting the first log on the chopping block.

“I’ll call you for lunch. If you finish early you can hang out in the house, it's going to get a little hot today.” He points at her and tilts his head to the side as a question. “Don’t you worry about me, I’ll be inside working on the quilts for the summer shop.” One week out of the year, they would head to Castletown to sell their goods, the rest of the year was spent managing the business from the farm and stocking up on non perishable products for the summer.

He seems content with that answer and smiles with his nod. She picks out a few of her needlework tools from the shed and takes her leave, this time she notices his eyes are still on her as she walks away. “Did you need to say something?” He shakes his head, and he manages to look away as she continues to stare at him. “Okay. I'll be inside.”

Lunch time rolls around and she sticks her head out of the window, “Come get food!” The axe makes one more loud thunk, and she hears footsteps in the grass leading to the door. She sets the platter of sandwiches she made on the table and sits down, taking a bite out of one as he comes in the kitchen with an armload of chopped wood. After he dumps them into the woodpile by the stove, he sits down and grabs a sandwich.

They sat in silence for a few moments while they ate. Rarely she wished he was a better conversationalist, and this was one of those times. “Fairy Boy, hand me that pitcher.” She points to a glass pitcher of lemonade on the counter. She could have gotten up to get it, but she really didn't want to.

“As you wish.” He says and passes it over. She feels her cheeks heat up. What an unreasonable reaction to such a menial request. “Thank you.” She squeaks out, voice suddenly refusing to cooperate. She pours two glasses and slides one over to his side of the table. He nods his thanks and takes a sip between bites of his third sandwich.

Being together, alone, in silence was affecting Malon in ways she never noticed before. She took her last bite and chugged down her drink to try to swallow the nervous lump that appeared in her throat. When she looked up at him, he had a fond look on his face as he watched her silently. That day, she was amazed to find out that when he said “as you wish,” he really meant, “I love you.”

Later that night, he goes to say his goodbyes like he normally did, but this time he lingered by the door a bit longer than usual. “Link?” She scrunches her eyebrows together in concern when she sees his hesitation to leave, “Are you okay?” His eyes snap to hers when she uses his name, as she rarely does. He seems nervous. “I,” He starts, and her heart flutters. _He’s talking, oh my goddess he’s talking!_ “I wanted you to have this.” His voice is quiet as he speaks and she feels her heart soar.

From his pouch, he pulls out a carved wooden horseshoe on a thin, braided leather strap and slowly holds it out, his eyes looking everywhere but at her. “Is this why you were late for breakfast this morning?” He nods slowly. She takes the necklace from his open palm and pulls it around her neck, “How’s it look?” She smiles wide, and the tension in his shoulders relaxes.

“You look beautiful.” He said it so softly, if she hadn't been actively listening she would have missed it. He was slightly taller than her, so she stood on her tip toes and kissed him gently on the cheek, “Thank you.”

He turns a bright shade of red and stammers out a goodnight. She waves at him as he turns and shuffles quickly towards the forest, suddenly feeling that loneliness from her childhood creep back into her heart. That night, as she watched him disappear into the darkness, she realized she loved him back.

* * *

The next three months are spent in honeymoon bliss. They sneak a few soft kisses when her father isn’t looking and brush hands when they pass each other while working. He stays longer so they can sit in the barn and talk into the night, and he actually talks! She’d never heard so many words out of him before and wonders if he’s kept them bottled up all these years.

One night, when the moon was at its highest, she turned to him while they lay in the hayloft of the barn, “Marry me.” His expression gives away his shock, “Malon..” She cuts him off, “No. I don't want to hear any excuses. Marry me!” He sits up and grabs her closest hand, “Malon, please, listen to me.” She sits up and looks at him, “Okay, what?” He avoids her eyes, choosing instead to look at the piece of hay he was rolling around between his fingers, “I want to. Goddesses know I do. I just can't marry you until I know I can support us.”

He sighs and drops the hay, “I’m leaving tomorrow, I got a job in Loriline Village, it’s not far from here.” She froze, anxious feelings building and creating a knot in her chest. “When were you going to tell me this?” She grabs his arm when he doesn't answer, “Link! When were you going to tell me!”

“I.. I don’t know. I was trying to figure that out when you surprised me like that.” He holds her hands in both of his and she sees for the first time the bags under his eyes when he finally maintains eye contact. He must've had trouble sleeping the last few days, “I promise you, Malon, it’s only until I can save up enough money for us to get on our feet, I would never ask your father for your hand with nothing to show for it.” She sighs and leans forward to collapse against him, “Okay.. I'll miss you.”

“I'll miss you too,” He whispers softly and kisses her forehead. “I love you.”

They spend the night there, falling asleep in each other’s arms, not wanting to let go. They only stir when rays of sun filter through cracks in the old ceiling of the barn shine on their faces. Malon wakes first and rolls over to look at Link. She’s seen him take naps before, but never had she seen him as relaxed as he did now. She hears him grumble and feels him snake his arms around her waist, pulling her close to his chest, “S’op movin’.”

He rests his head in the crook of her neck and she can feel his soft breaths tickle her skin. She runs a hand through his hair, pulling out the pieces of hay that made a home in it during the night. She takes the moment to commit all the small details of his face to memory, the light freckles you could only see when you were this close, the way his eyelashes curved upward, the dimple that appears only one one cheek when he smiled.

“When are you leaving?” She whispers, she didn't want to ruin the moment, but she had to know. “I should've been gone already.” He says quietly and moves to get up. They both stand and brush off the hay that clings to their clothes and hair and make hair way down to the lower level of the barn.

He’s definitely running late now, the sun is directly overhead as they stand on the porch locked in a tight embrace. “Write to me as soon as you arrive.” Malon demands as they break from their hug. He gives her a short bow and, with a smirk, he answers, “As you wish.” As he straightens he pulls his pack onto his shoulder. “I’ll be off then.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. They share one last kiss, and he leaves.

“Fairy boy!” Malon calls after him as he passes the main gate to the ranch, “You better not make me wait a long time, or I'll be reaaaal mad!” He laughs and waves at her. She watches him go until she can no longer make out his figure in the distance. “Yeah, I'll rip him a new one if I have to wait here forever.” She says to herself and goes back inside.

* * *

She receives his letter a month later, and she whines aggravatedly when she remembers how horrible his penmanship was. Not only that, but he was as talented in conversation on paper as he was in person, which is to say, not great. She reads it at her writing desk in her bedroom.

_Dear Malon,_

_I have arrived at Loriline. I will update you weekly or if an event should occur._

_I love you,_  
_Link_

She reads over the short letter a few times and sighs. This boy would be the death of her. She pulls out her stationary to write him one back. As she sets up her supplies, she hears a knock at her bedroom door. Malon looks up as her father’s muffled voice comes through the door. “Can I come in? We need to talk.” His voice sounds concerned, and somewhat sad. “I’ll come out. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” She answers, confused.

She hears his footsteps fade away and she folds Link’s letter and rests it on the desk. She hadn’t heard that tone in her pa’s voice since her mother died, and her small bedroom would not be ideal for the unnerving aura that suddenly filled the air. She takes a deep breath and gets up from her chair, heading to the door.

Her father is already in the kitchen sitting on one side of the dining table, hands clasped together nervously. “Pa? What’s wrong?” She questions and sits down across from him. He doesn’t say a word, just pulls a small box, about the size of a ring box, from his pocket and sets it in front of her. “Malon. We received this in the post this morning.”

Her eyebrows scrunch together as she picks it up and opens the lid slowly. Inside is a beautiful gold ring with a single small ruby embedded in the band, and a piece of paper. “Link..” She says and smiles. But, when she looked up at her dad, his face was still somber. “Read the note.” He says slowly.

She picks out the note and sets the box down on the table. Looking up at her dad, she lets out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding. What’s with this atmosphere? She opens the letter.

_Malon,_

_If you are reading this, I am dead._

Her heart stops, blood runs cold, she doesn’t think she’s even breathing anymore.

_I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you all those years ago. I will always regret not telling you my feelings sooner. This ring is for you, to keep, to sell, whatever you wish. It was for our wedding, I’m so sorry. Please don’t dwell on me, I just want you to be happy._

_I love you,_  
_Link._

She doesn’t notice the tears already streaming down her cheeks until one drops onto the letter, slightly smudging the ink. “Wh-What is this?” She looks up, “No! This was a mistake! Send it back!” She shoves the letter back in the box and closes it, shoving it back towards her father. He pushes her hand back, causing her fingers to wrap around it, “Malon, listen to me. We got a letter, it has the royal crest on it.”

She screams, “No! It was a mistake!” He grabs her forcefully by the shoulders and looks her dead in the eyes, “Malon! Loriline was attacked! No one survived.” His voice cracks, he cared about that boy like he was his own flesh and blood. “No one. The whole village was destroyed.” His voice softens and he loosens his grip. Malon breaks free and runs to her room, slamming the door and throwing herself on her bed. She lays on her side and opens the box, gazing with unfocused eyes on the gold band tied to her love. She pulls her blanket over her head, whispering to herself.

“I’ll never love again.”


	2. A Cowboy, A Drunk, A Pirate, and a Self-Obsessed Asshole Walk Into a Bar..

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malon, princess-bride to be, finds herself in a sticky situation.

The kingdom of Hyrule was in a tricky state. No matter how hard they had tried, the king and queen was only able to have one heir, a son. Normally, the royal family's lineage would continue on through their daughters, all named Zelda, but this time around the kingdom would have, for the first time, a prince who would have to pass his bloodline to the next reigning line of Queens. 

The prince is a strange man who insisted on marrying a peasant girl. He claimed it was for the crown to gain a better relationship with the people, but no one knew what really went through his head, especially after he went missing for a whole week!

The prince is not an unattractive man. He is young, in his early twenties with light brown hair that looked soft to the touch and sparkling blue eyes. His name is Link, but insists that his friends and castle employees called him Sky. Why? No one knew, perhaps to get away from the bad luck that seemed to follow the name, perhaps because it was such a common name, or maybe he gave in to the rumors going around that he went through life with his head in the clouds.

However, a month after stumbling back into the castle after being missing, he seemed more hostile, unhinged. He would lash out when referred to as his self appointed nickname. No one understood why, but they heeded his threats and dropped the issue entirely. 

Link stands near the window of his study tower and watches as the streets below fill with people. Disgusting. His lips upturn in a grimace and he stalks away to the corner of the room. He grabs the string of a necklace he had hung around his neck and tugs it out of his shirt, revealing a black gemstone amulet.

"Ghirahim." He says quietly so the guards that kept watch outside his door wouldn't hear him. The amulet flickers briefly with a dark aura, and a voice responds. 

"My Lord, I certainly must say, your current state is-"

"I won't be in this form long." Link grumbles, "I detest it a much as you. No need for a useless reminder." 

The amulet seems to go back to normal for a second, and then the voice returns, "Yes, my Lord, what do you call upon me for?"

  
  


"The announcement ceremony is today, did you follow through with tomorrow's plans like I ordered?" 

"*Everything is in place. The peasant girl has a predictable schedule, unfortunately for her."

"Excellent, make sure all goes well." The amulet goes quiet again, this time for good, and Link shoves it back beneath his clothes, smoothing the collar to hide the creases. A knock on the door interrupts any further actions he was to take. 

"Yes?" He barks in annoyance.

"Your Royal Highness, it's time." He hears a familiar voice. Link, Link rolls his eyes, a common name indeed, his royal guard, was here to escort him to the balcony they used to perform speeches. 

He throws open the doors in a regal fashion, almost hitting the other Link, who had to step back to avoid being hit, and begins to make his way through the hall. He looks behind him with a glare when he doesn't hear footsteps following. 

"Well? Come along then." He turns, head tilted up in a snooty fashion, and continues on. The other Link follows his blue scarf, a symbol of his status as Captain of the Royal Guard, billows out behind him as he tries to catch up.

Link ignores his presence. He was of no use at the moment, but the Captain's loyalty was something of a pawn to use for later plans. "Everything is done, the proceedings will start as soon as you're ready." 

Link waves his hand dismissively as an answer and Warriors, as the other Link was apparently nicknamed by the lower ranking members of the guard, stops talking. Finally. Link would never use this nickname verbally, and definitely not someone who was so inferior to himself, but he would keep it in mind so if he, goddess forbid, met anymore Links he wouldn't get confused.

The doors to the balcony are pulled open by servants as he approaches, and he walks straight to the parapet. He holds his hands up to quiet the crowds. They become silent quickly, seeing their prince about to commence his speech. Warriors stands by him, in the shadows. He's close enough to protect him if necessary but not enough to be seen from below.

"My royal subjects," he says with a loud booming voice, quite unlike the soft spoken voice they had heard from him before. This turned a few heads, but they remained watching with rapt attention.

"A month from now, the summer solstice celebration will be on it's final day." He pauses to let the crowd cheer. "On that sundown, an anniversary of the long war's end, I shall marry a lady that was once a commoner such as yourself." 

The crowd cheers once more, and he has to hold his hands up again to calm them, "Would you like to meet her?" They answer with a loud, resounding yes.

Link turns towards the woman in the doorway, waiting for her cue. He gestures her over with an outstretched hand, and she comes forward to meet it with hers. 

He smiles, but it doesn't reach his cold eyes. He pulls her into view and announces to the spectators, "Your princess, Malon!" The crowd kneels as one, and Malon is moved.

She blinked back tears. Five years ago, she was a farmgirl mourning her lost love, now she was to be princess to a nation. Her emptiness consumed her, and while the prince had the right to choose whomever he wished as a bride, she did not love him back.

* * *

  
  


Despite the prince's reassurance that she would fall in love with him, the only joy she had was her daily rides with Epona. One of the conditions she had when moving to the castle was to be able to keep her precious friend, and the prince was so insistent on marrying her that he did not refuse. 

The morning after the announcement, Malon sets off on her ride as normal. She always rode on the main roads to stay safe, but it also had some pretty sights as well. They gallop at a slow but steady pace through a forested area. 

She frequented this path, as it led her through the field near her old ranch.

Her and her father fell on hard times after Link died. Whether it was due to the extra workload or heartbreak was not apparent, and the castle forced them to give the lease over to an old colleague of her father's.

This so called friend had no qualms about kicking them out of the home that had been in their family for generations. Since, the livestock was still in their name, they made enough rupees selling it to the new farm owner to buy a run down house in the poorer side of Castletown and they had lived there for the past four years.

Her hands grip the reins tighter as she recalls events that started a month ago. A letter in the mail showering her in praises and stamped with the royal seal. Desperation fueled her response, her father fell ill and needed medicine.

They offered that and so much more.

Now she was here, princess to be, clinging to a semblance of normalcy before she was confined to the castle walls and a loveless union. What was seen in her she had no clue. Because she was easy? She had no love left and would even marry herself off to help her father.

Her musings are interrupted when she spots a small group of travelers on the road, seemingly arguing. She knew this area well, if they were lost she could help. She pulls on Epona's reins, bringing her to a slow stop near the men. 

One of the three, a strange man who's eyes seemed permanently closed and had a perpetual smile on his face, stepped forward as she dismounted.

"Pardon me Miss, are you able to give us directions.

She nods and pats Epona's mane, "Yeah I know the area around here pretty well. Where ya heading?" As she speaks, she looks over the other two, both young, maybe around twenty if not teenagers. One was taller than the others by at least a foot and had strange markings on his face and wore a dark animal pelt on his shoulders. In this weather? 

The other had a pink streak in his hair and was shorter but not as short as the smiling one. Is he not wearing pants? She gets distracted by the pantsless one for a moment and almost misses the response.

"We are just lost humble merchants," The smiling man gestures to the large backpack he carried on his back, "Is there a village nearby?"

She shakes her head and points in the general direction of Castle Town, "Closest is gonna be the capital, should take ya about 3 hours on foot. 

His features somehow deepen into a more manic grin, "So no one is around to hear you scream." 

Her eyes widen in panic and she tries to jump back onto Epona, but the tall one rushes over and pinches a nerve on her neck. Unconsciousness claims her before she can scream, and she's caught in his arms as she falls.

"Link, get the wagon." Happy, as the other two named the shortest one, demands. They pause and look at each other in confusion, dear goddesses Link was a common name and should have been banned. Happy rolls his eyes and sighs exasperatedly. "You, Pinky! You're the only one not doing something!" He yells as he stands there, doing nothing. 

The one carrying Malon answers, "Uh, we gave you names to use for us. I'm Twilight and he's Legend." He nods his head towards Legend for emphasis. 

Happy glares at him, "Did I ask you, fuzzhead? I'm not using those damned awful names!" Legend says nothing this whole time, but he has his arms crossed and he doesn't look pleased at being called 'Pinky'.

Happy throws his arms up after only a brief moment of inactivity, "Inconceivable! Fine! I'll do it myself!" He mutters to himself all the way to the wagon that they had hidden behind the trees. After tying Epona's lead to the saddle of one of their own horses, they climb aboard and head off. They follow the path around the field, towards the east.

After a bit of a struggle, and quite a lot more yelling later, they finally make it to their destination, a random spot along the edge of the Zora River. It's only barely evening when they pull alongside a small wooden boat anchored to the shoreline. It is small and open with benches attached to the wall on the back and side walls, the only cover an awning above the wheel and the chair in front of it.

"Took you long enough!" A bored voice calls and a small blonde boy peeks his head over the side of the boat from his lounging position. 

"Sorry Wind, got a little sidetracked." Legend hops off the wagon to help him ready the boat. Twilight carries Malon aboard and sets her down gently on the back bench with his pelt under her head for support.

Happy emerges from the wagon last, with a piece of fabric adorned with small stones and a small paring knife. He starts ripping and cutting small strips from the cloth and gathering the best looking pieces in his hand. 

"What are you ripping?" Wind hears the sounds and looks over at him curiously.

Happy doesn't pause his task or turn to look at the boy, "Fabric from a Zora soldier's uniform, err, a scarf that is." He takes the pieces and drops them on the ground, using his foot to get the cut edges to fray and look unintentional and to dirty it a bit. 

"Why the Zora?" Legend is curious now too. 

Happy doesn't answer right away. He takes a few of the smaller pieces and one with a part of the Zora symbol on it and stuffs them along the creases of Epona's saddle. After this, he unties her and smacks her on the rump. "Hyah!" 

She whinnies in fear and takes off towards the castle, she was a smart animal and could find her way back with no trouble. It's only when she's out of sight that he turns to explain himself. 

"Once the horse reaches the castle, they'll find the fabric and assume the Zoras abducted the princess. When they find her body near Zora's Domain, it'll only confirm their suspicions.

Twilight's head snaps up to glare at him, "You said nothing about killing anyone." His voice has an animalistic growl to it.

Happy hops on the boat and makes his way to the captain's seat, throwing himself into it. "I hired you to help me start a war. A prestigious line of work, might I add. Pays well."

"I just don't think it's right, killing an innocent girl." Twilight scratches the back of his head. 

Happy gets up suddenly and stalk over to him in a fury, "Did I just hear the word 'think' come out of your mouth? Am I going mad or did that really happen? I didn't hire you for your brains, you useless land mass!" He points his finger in Twilight's face. Well, tries to, he's way shorter and only manages to jab him in the chest. 

"I agree with Twilight." Legend says, arms crossed. Wind nods behind him, also in agreement. 

Happy whirls on them, "Oh, the sot speaks! What happens to her is not your concern. I will kill her," He advances on them, and Legend steps slightly to the side to block him from getting near Wind. Happy jabs his finger at Legend now, "Never forget this! When I found you, you were so drunk you lost your life savings in a card game, and you, " He glares at Wind, "Were selling garbage on the side of the street to feed your sister." 

He turns back around and faces Twilight again, "And you, friendless, brainless, helpless, hopeless, do you want me to send you back to that failing ranch that paid you nothing!" 

Happy is fuming, he gives each of them their own personal glare and stalks back to his chair. 

Legend puts a hand on Wind's shoulder when he hears the kid trying to hide his sniffles. "Don't listen to him, he's an asshole." He says quietly.

Twilight sighs, a hand reaching back to scratch at his neck, "He sure can fuss." 

Wind grumbles, "He just likes to scream at us." 

Legend shrugs, "He probably means no harm."

"He's really very short on charm." Wind snickers.

Legend grins down at him, "Oh, you've got a gift for rhyme."

"Hmm, yes, some of the time." The boy dissolves into quiet giggles.

Happy turns around, "Stop that! Now hurry up, let's get going."

Wind reaches over the side of the boat, pulling up the anchor. The water reacts, pulling them into the middle of the river. It laps against the sides of the ship, rocking them slightly. 

"Do you think there are rocks ahead?" Twilight asks, a hand blocking the sun as he peers into the water, searching.

"If there are, we'll all be dead." Wind's response is fast.

"No more rhymes now! I mean it!" Happy yells, fuming.

"Anybody want a peanut?" Legend asks, holding up a bag of the proffered food. 

Happy screams, hands tearing at his hair.

* * *

It takes him 6 hours, at least one of the hours full of screaming and yelling, to calm down. Wind feels pleased, revenge felt sweet. He stands at the helm, carefully steering his ship through the dark waters of the Zora river. The sun is now gone, their only light the occasional moonbeams peeking through the clouds.

A groan and fluttering of eyelids catches Twilight's attention and he leans over the woman sitting at the back of the boat. He has to stretch to walk around Legend, who is intently watching the river.

"We should reach the outskirts of Zora's domain by dawn." Happy announces. Twilight and Wind sigh in relief, they wanted to rest. Legend only nods, still looking behind them. 

"What are you doing?" Happy asks him, voice low to not betray the rage that was still in him.

"Making sure nobody's following us." 

Happy scoffs, "That would be inconceivable, we covered our tracks."

Twilight moves out of the way as Malon sits up and points at Happy, "Despite what you think, you will be caught."

"Why didn't you say she was awake, idiot!" He glares at Twilight and then gives Malon a smirk, "Princess, the only thing you should be worried about is yourself."

Legend hasn't moved at all, he continues to stare behind them. "Stop doing that! We're fine!" 

"You sure nobody is following us?" 

Happy throws his arms up, "Yes! As I told you, it's totally, absolutely, inconceivable that anyone knows what we are doing. And no one could have gotten out here so fast!"

Legend points out, over the water, and says in a deadpan voice, "Then what's that?" 

The crew turns to look, and sure enough, there's a dark shape following them, a small boat with a black sail billowing in the wind. It's gaining on them, fast. 

"Probably a fisherman having a joyride in Lizalfos infested waters." Happy explains with his mightier-than-thou tone. 

Splash!

Twilight gasps, Malon, seeing her chance, had pushed him out of the way and dove straight into the water. She took wide strokes, swimming away.

Happy smacks Twilight upside the head, yelling, "Go in! Get her!" 

"I can't swim." 

"I can only dog paddle." Legend says, knowing he'll be the next Happy whirls on. 

"Veer left, left, left!" He yells to the boy in the captain's seat.

Malon is still too close to the boat for her liking, the waves coming in from shore keep pushing her back. She switches to a slow crawl, hands paddling in front of her. 

A high-pitched shriek echoes through the wind, and it's close. She stops, ears inclining to listen.

Happy leans over the side of the boat, smirking, "Do you know what that is, Princess? This water is infested with Lizalfos. If you don't believe me, wait until one grabs you by the leg." 

The waves push her closer to the boat, removing all of the progress she had made on getting away. Another shriek, and it's closer, close enough she can see the horn of the overgrown lizard poking the surface of the water.

"If you swim back now, I promise you won't be harmed. You won't get a deal with the Lizalfos." 

The Lizalfos's eyes are looking at her, she's been spotted. She freezes, petrified. She'd never seen one in real life before, only hearing about them from adventurers trying to woo her in Castletown. 

It zeroes in on her, circling. She can't move, she's scared. "Link, help me." She whispers to herself, despite knowing he was no longer around to do so. It screeches again, mouth opening wide as it gets closer, tongue ready to shoot out to grab her. It lunges, and she screams in terror.

An arm reaches out and punches the Lizalfos with a resounding crack. It falls unconscious, and she feels herself be lifted by the same arm. 

She looks up at her rescuer, it's the boy with the strange face markings. 

"Put her down!" Happy takes control again. 

She's deposited back on the bench, shivering, the cold wind hitting her wet skin. She is confused by the tall one's bare shoulders, until she feels the fur of his missing pelt hit her shoulders. 

"Hey, he's getting closer." Legend says, pointing behind them. 

Happy produces a thick piece of rope, forcefully grabbing her hands, "He's of no concern at the moment. Keep going."

He makes short work of tying her hands together, "You think you're brave, huh?" 

  
She smirks with all the air of a tomboyish farm girl, "Only compared to some."    
  
She settles back against the coarse wood of the bench, leaning her head back to see the dark ship. It seemed to be moving faster, gaining on them. She only hoped whoever was on board was there for her.


	3. Oops

Hey guys, I'm having a hard time with the next chapter and ultimately decided I needed a fresh start, so rather than continuing this I am going to be rewriting it. The first two chapters should remain mostly the same but I am in the process of outlining the entire story so I will definitely be changing a few things to keep the plot consistent. Sorry this is taking so long and thank you for being patient!

I will update the entire fic at once as soon as I rewrite the first two chapters and finish the third so you'll have plenty to catch up on.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Next chapter will be out as soon as a can finish it. :D


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